Alaska Airlines’ efforts to becoming America’s “fourth global airline” might just be taking off, but back on the ground, it’s making a change that those in its Atmos Rewards program might not love.The airline is in the process of modifying several of its aircraft types, such as the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and Boeing 737-900, introducing a new seating layout which allows it to fit additional first class seating in the front of the aircraft. However, the changes at the front of the aircraft could affect changes in the middle, reshaping a mainstay among Atmos status flyers. Row 17 is no longer the one to beatExit rows on all airlines are sought after for extra legroom and Alaska is no different, but not all exit rows are made equally. In Alaska’s legacy 737 set up, row 17 was the one to beat. It was one of two exit rows at the center of the aircraft, with the benefit of extra legroom and the ability to recline.However, with the retrofitted cabin interior now commonplace across the Alaska fleet, many flyers will likely skip row 17. Changes in the exit rows on the airline’s MAX 8 and 737-900 aircraft mean that the once-desired row will now be a standard legroom seat. It’ll also be missing a window seat, meaning that the middle seat will have a pesky solid panel armrest.Instead, rows 16 and 18 would be the rows to nab for Alaska’s status holders, with a very big asterisk. Depending on which plane you’re flying, these exit row seats might not recline. Some might not even flex the extra legroom of its prior layout. And unfortunately for many status users, the new exit row setup will patch one of the better value propositions of Atmos status. Some exit rows now come at a premiumMany Atmos users were offered the option to grab exit rows for free when booking a flight, since they were coded as Main Preferred seating. This made seats like 17A, 17C, 17D, and 17F especially lucrative on the aircraft. (And on the old configuration, they still are!)However, it looks like Atmos status members won’t be able to rely on special treatment when they head to check out. Per data reviewed by TheStreet, Alaska appears to have begun charging for the more desirable exit rows on some aircraft and layouts:On Alaska’s 737-800, we observed exit row 16 as a Premium seat, but it does not recline. Rows 17 and 18 are still coded as Main Preferred, but only seats 18A and 18F have extra legroom.Alaska’s 737-900 and MAX 9 with the old configuration coded exit rows 16 and 17 as Premium, rather than Main Preferred.On a different 737-900 flight, we saw row 16 was a Premium row, row 17 was Preferred, and row 18 was not marked as an exit row (at least, not yet.)This matters a lot since Main Preferred seats are a free upgrade for most Atmos status holders, while Premium Class seats will cost money. In some cases, Atmos status holders might get the option to select a Premium seat closer to departure, but that’s a big change.These findings suggest that Alaska isn’t just tweaking the layout of its aircraft, but its categorization of exit rows. We talked with Atmos status users who said that the new layouts preclude them from automatically upgrading into an exit row for free.Can you call it a devaluation?That said, it’s hard to not see these changes as a sort of ‘devaluation’ for Atmos Silver and Gold flyers in particular. This was a huge benefit for those on the lower rungs of the Atmos status pyramid. Now, depending on what aircraft or cabin configuration you’re flying, Atmos members might have to settle for Preferred inventory elsewhere in the cabin.Evidently, Alaska suspects it could be monetizing more of its exit row real estate, perhaps scoring incremental revenue by pitting Atmos flyers against folks who are willing to pay for an exit row. This strategy worked for Delta, but in the long run, this pivot among U.S. airlines has mostly destroyed the perceived value of airline status. Plus, what was once free for Atmos flyers (who are already spending a premium to fly Alaska) is now going to cost them anywhere from $10 to nearly $100. Money might not be the only factor at play here, though. Alaska’s forays into the premium credit card market, plus its push into international destinations, have also helped flyers earn status points more quickly, introducing congestion at the bottom of its frequent flyer pyramid.Rather than raise the tides to earn Silver or Gold, the airline appears to be raising the bar to nab a spot in its scarce and valuable seating real estate. From what we can tell, that change has stoked nerves among Atmos flyers.We reached out to Alaska Airlines to better understand this change, along with what it bares for the company’s financials and its status holders. They did not respond to comment.
Alaska Airlines is making a change that frequent flyers will hate
